19:18
Gaelle So
1 Comments

Winter has definitely arrived here in Cape Breton Island in Canada. The Highlands are fully covered with a white blanket of snow, the pond is frozen, and the wind is cold. We keep active and go for a walk as often as possible ( now with snow shoes!), but do enjoy spending more time in too, cozy by the fireplace.

Of course, that kind of weather calls for more winter-y food, aka comfort food. Soups, stews, curries, creamy dishes, hearty salads, vegetable bakes,... comforting and nourishing dishes to make you happy and healthy to go through the cold months.

As we live in a sort of remote place, where a trip to the grocery takes a good hour (depending on weather), we tend to do one big shop per month and stock up on everything. But after a few weeks, the fridge and pantry are starting to look a bit on the "empty" side, and cooking can require a bit more thought and creativity. Luckily, there are recipes like this Cornish pasty one that can be adapted to whatever you have available, and can be made with very simple ingredients. The traditional filling for Cornish pasties (originally from Cornwall, a region of England) is usually a mix of potato, swede (rutabaga, or turnip), onion, and beef. It's a very popular take away or snack food around the UK. You can definitely go crazy with the ingredients and create so many flavourful and original combinations... here are a few ideas to inspire you : - any root vegetables or squashes : beetroot, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrot, parsnip...- greens : spinach, kale and chard, beet greens...- leek, mushrooms, caramelised red onion, cheddar,...The pasties could be made in advance and frozen (freeze the pasties on a tray, then transfer to a bag or container for storage), then baked from frozen (they may take a bit longer to bake. You could also make mini-pasties, which would make a great appetizer!

IngredientsFor the pastry125g wholemeal flour125g white flour1/2 tsp salt150 g butter, cold3 tbsp yogurt50ml (approximately) waterFor the filling1 medium sweet potato5 leaves of kale, 5 leaves of chard1 onion2 cloves garlic6 leaves of fresh sage1 tbsp olive oil1 tsp balsamic vinegar1/2 tsp ground cuminsalt, pepper1/2 tsp hot saucea handful of walnuts, chopped3 tbsp goats cheese, crumbledStart by preparing the pastry. In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt. Use a cheese grater to grate the butter on top of the flour, then mix it in by rubbing the butter into the flour between your hands. Add the yogurt, then some water (gradually), until forming a ball of dough that's is not too sticky. It's ok if there's still little bits of butter speckled through the dough : this will make the pastry flakier.Flatten into a square about 2 cm thick, cover and place in the fridge to rest while you prepare the filling.Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes.Remove the tough stems off the kale, then roughly chop the kale leaves and the chard (keep the stems of the chard, just make sure you cut them small enough so all the vegetables cook evenly).Peel and finely chop onion and garlic, as well as the sage leaves.Heat some olive oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and a touch of salt, and fry on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the sage, cubes of sweet potato, cumin and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sweet potato start to turn golden. Add the the chopped kale and chard, and a splash of balsamic vinegar and the hot sauce. Stir well, cover with a lid, and cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes, until all the vegetables are cooked through. Remove from the heat, check the seasoning, stir in the crumbled goats cheese and chopped walnuts, and let it cool while you roll the pastry.Preheat the oven to 180°C. Dust a work surface with flour, and divide the pastry into 6 equal portions.Roll each portion of pastry into a 15cm diameter circle with a rolling pin. Put 2 generous spoons of the filling on one side of each circle, then fold the other side on top to form the pasties, pressing the edges to seal the pastry.Transfer the pasties to a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and serve with a seasonal salad.